Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A New and Improved SM Foodcourt Opens In Bacolod

Finally, after months of waiting, the SM City Northwing expansion and SMX Convention Center are now open and with them, comes a new and improved SM Foodcourt. As expected, the north wing expansion is huge, making the mall the
biggest and largest of all SM Malls in the Visayas and Mindanao and the
first SMX outside Metro Manila. Last Friday, October 17, just before Masskara weekend, members of the Negrense Blogging Society, Inc and Skyscraper City Bacolod were invited to view, taste and experience what the new foodcourt has to offer the people of Negros.

The new SM Foodcourt is located on the second floor of the new wing and is PWD-friendly (a concern of mine having a legally blind brother and a mother on a walker) with it's wide passageway, well-spaced tables, bright lights and comfortable chairs. In fact, I saw many folks in wheelchairs and those using assistive devices like canes and walkers.

There are 8 concessionaires in the new foodcourt offering mouth-watering dishes from all-time favorite food concepts and new brands that offer a taste of global flavor. First to open for business are Sbarro (welcome back! Thank you for returning to Bacolod ), Casa Ilongga (a favorite and the only concessionaire left from the old foodcourt), and an unfamiliar one, Mr. Kimbob, although we were informed that this is a bestseller among SM Foodcourt branches nationwide.

Korean Bibimbob

According to the Foodcourt executives who showed us around, this is the first Mr. Kimbob outside of Luzon, and the first in the Visayas! We were served with their signature dish, the Bibimbob, a rice, egg, vegetable and meat dish that you mixed and for added spice, put in some kimchi before eating. Now, I like Korean food like their bulgogi, but this is the first time I will be eating this.

Bibimbob main dish

Kimchi

mixed and ready to eat

YUMMY! very very clean plate!

Obviously, by the look of my wiped-clean hot plate, I was one happy and satisfied (burp) eater! The beef was tender and had the right amount of sweetness, while the veggies were crunchy just the way I like it. Although I am not a big fan of kimchi, it is a necessary ingredient that balanced the sweet flavor of the meat. You can choose between beef, pork or chicken for your meat, and regular or large servings. I will definitely go back and also try the other dishes on their menu.

The people of Bacolod and Negros Occidental must have missed Sbarro so badly because lines were so long. I wanted to get some of their delicious garlic bread which my mom loves, but with that long line of people, it would have taken me forever to reach the counter. Oh well, there will always be another day, and also more time to enjoy the generous servings of freshly-made pizza and pasta from this US-born, Italian resto chain.

Creamy pasta and Hawaiian pizza

Casa Ilongga is owned by a family from Bacolod. We met one of the owners and got a snippet of it's history. They first opened in Manila in the late 70's, serving "lutong-bahay" Ilonggo dishes like "laswa", "kadyos" "kanse" to homesick and hungry Ilonggos working or studying in Metro Manila. As of today, they have 6 family owned branches and 70 franchises nationwide.

Of course if you're hungry but don't have time to wait in line, there's Potato Corner with their different flavored fries (I love them all), the fresh juices and shakes of Thirsty, and the new kid on the block, Chillers enticing you with it's colorful fruit and milk-based slushes.

It will be a matter of days when Sizzling Plate, Cebu's Tokyo Joe, Four Seasons, Kublai Khan and Kamay Kainan opens. These new entrants will surely add more fun and flavor to the Bacolod food scene. I am pleased to see that the new SM Foodcourt has remained true to its aim of providing good food for everyone, with a wide array of choices that will surely satisfy food lovers of all ages. I brought my whole family over for lunch last Sunday and my mother who has limited mobility, had a good and enjoyable dining experience in spite of the very large crowd. Good food plus great shopping equals happy family...yes indeed, SM has got it all for you!

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I am a member of the working class, first and foremost: a daughter, a mom, an auntie, a sister, a physician, a caregiver, the family driver and troubleshooter, house princess, devoted nurturer, concerned meddler, accidental blogger etc. I am not religious but I am a true Roman Catholic. I have great faith and trust in God's love and mercy.

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